The Bustling Bike Shop

These days, the Patchwork Bike Shop is busier than ever. Pete has found a crew of five to help him rebuild and repair the bikes that our guests depend on for transportation. With all this extra people power, we’ve been able to get a lot more work done and to get dramatically more bikes out on the road–25 in the last two weeks!

The shop is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:45 am to noon. For the time being, walk-in repairs are done on Tuesdays only, reserving Thursdays to concentrate on refurbishing donated bikes to give to new owners.

Some days the Bike Shop is full of people waiting to get their bikes repaired. And some days it’s full of people looking for a spot to chat with friends and to talk about life beyond bikes.

Recently, a man stopped by Patchwork looking for Pete:

“Is the bike guy here?” he asked. “I need a bike. I’ve seen the bikes he gives out. A couple of my friends got one. He does good work. Gives out bikes in better than factory condition.”

Later, I listened as another man picked out a bike for himself from the options that were ready to ride out the door:

For many of us, a bike is something we keep in the garage to ride by the river on a nice day. Or they are something that is part of a weekly exercise routine. However, for many of Patchwork’s guests, bikes are a primary form of transportation that, when combined with the bus system, can go a long way in getting them where they need to go around town.

Thus, owning a bike, keeping it in good working order, and keeping it safe are important things in many of our guests’ lives. It’s equally important to have a place to get a new, safe, working bike or to get an existing bike repaired when the brakes go out or the wheel gets bent or the tire goes flat. That’s where our Bike Shop plays a key role.